Toy balloon.



1. E. COONEY.

TOY BALLOON.

APPLICATION FlLED JUNE I6. 1911.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' 1 JAMES E. COON'EY, or rAWTUcKET, RHODE ISLAND.

TOY nALLooiv.

To all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that I, JAMEs E. COONEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pawtucket, in the county of Providence and State of RhodeIsland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in To Balloons, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a toyballoon, and it has for its primary object to providea novel device forholding the air within the inflated envelop or body and controlling itsescape therefrom.

The invention is especially adapted for toy balloons of that typeWl'llCll embodies a Vibratory musical or sound-producing element so thata Variety of sounds may be produced according to the volume of the iconfined air that is permitted to escape, and

it, consists in a member that is connected to the mouth of theinflatable body, as by means of an inserted mouth-piece, which memberextends over the body to frictionally engage therewith, when inflated,said body being twisted relative to said member forclosing the neckopening and being retained in such twisted relation with the memberthrough the frictional contact of the latter with the body.

The invention further resides in the specific features of constructionhereinafter described in detail and succinctly defined in the appendedclaims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1is a vertical section through a toy balloon constructed in accordancewith the present invention with the body or envelop deflated.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section thereof showing the manner in which thebody is forced outwardly into contact or engagement with the lower edgeof the holder, and Fig. 3 shows the balloon with the neck of i the bodytwisted by revolving either the latteror the mouth-piece.

Referring more in particular to the drawings, the balloon comprises aninflatable body 1 having a neck portion 2 and a mouth a 3 which isslipped over the beaded inner end of the mouth-piece 4 and suitablysecured, as by the usual rubber reinforcement 5. The mouth-piece carriesthe usual thin rubber band or cord 6 on its inner end, said cordconstituting the sound-producing or musical member that is vibrated bythe escaping fluid from within the envelop 1.

Spceification'of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 16, 1917. Serial No. 175,064.

Patented Oct. 2, 191 '7.

, flexible walls thereof will expand into contact with the bottom andconcentrically related edge 9.

In practice, the balloon is inflated, in the usual manner and either themouth-piece or balloon body is rotated relative to each other to cause atwisting of the neck, in Fig. 3. If the twist is sufliciently great, theneck opening will be completely closed against the egression of theconfined air,

and since the rubber of the expanded envelop affords an eflicient gripon the edge 9 of the holder 7 it is obvious that the balloon will beretained inflated for an indefinite period. Now, should the body beuntwisted gradually, the volume of the confined air that is permitted toescape will correspondingly increase and accordingly act upon thesoundproducing cord by increasing its vibration. Consequently, the soundthat emanates through the mouth-piece may be varied by twisting oruntwistin the body relative to the mouth-piece or fiolder for increasingthe neck opening.

The improvement may well be used as a means for holding an inflated bodyagainst untwisting in order to confine the air, whether it be inconnection with a toy sounding balloon, a non-sounding balloon or otherin latable bodies.

The holder or sto may be of any shape although the conica designillustrated is simple of construction and of a much more durablecharacter since the pressure exerted thereon by the expandible body isin a direct line to the abutment afforded by the shoulder or head 8.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a toy balloon, an inflatable bodyhaving a neck adapted to be closed by twisting, a mouth piece insertedin the neck and provided with a peripheral bead intermediate its ends, avibratory musical cord secured across the inner end of the mouth asdepicted piece, and a conical holder having its smaller end seatingagainst the bead of the mouth piece and itslarger end-extended be yondthe inner end of the latter for frictionally engaging the inflated bodyto hold the same against turning when, twisted relative to-themouth'piece'for closing the neck. 2. In a toy balloon, anwinflatable bodyhaving a neck adapted to be closed by twisting, a mouth piece insertedin the neckand when inflated and hold the same against untwisting whensaid body" is twisted to close its neck.

3. In a toy balloon, a mouth piece of tubularl form having-a peripheralbead in= termediate its ends and a second bead on its tive tothe mouthpiece.

inner end, an inflatablebody having a neck engaged over the second beadfor secure ment to the'innerend of the mouth 'piece,-a

vibratory sound producing cord secured:

over the innerend of the mouth piece, and-a conical holder forced overthe first bead of the mouth piece whereby 'said bead will serve as anabutment for thesmaller end. of said conical member, the flared end ofthe.

Copies of this patent may he obtainedfor holder connected at its smallerend to the mouth. of thebody and having its larger end extending over aportion thereof to seat on the inflated body and hold the same against;L

relative rotation; v

5. A toy balloon comprising an inflatable i body, a mouth piecetherefor, and means carried by :the mouth piece for holding the inflatedbody frictionally'against rotation.

6. A toyballoonwcomprising an inflatable body, a mouth "piecetherefoncand means freepof theybodywhen deflated and frictionallyengagingflsaid body when inflated for; holding the. same againstrotation rela- In testimony whereof I have signed myname tothisrspecification in the presence of two subscribmg witnesses.

I JAMES E. COONEY, WVitnesses:

ADA' E. HAenn'rY, Y J.. A. MILLER.

five -cents each, loyiaddressingythe Commissioner r of Patents,Washington, ID; :0. v

